What does Ecclesiasticus Chapter 10 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Judge wording and the separate Greek reading distinguish verse from annotation. Mortality, pride and divine reversals remain the chapter’s attributed assertions. Fear, reproof, labor and final wealth/poverty comparisons retain their scope.

Chapter breakdown

Ecclesiasticus 10 says a wise judge judges people and prudent government is steady. A separate edition note gives the Greek reading instructs. Ministers and inhabitants resemble judge and ruler; an unwise king ruins people while prudent rulers populate cities. Earthly power and human prosperity are in God's hand, with a beneficial ruler raised in his time and honor laid on a scribe; the edition identifies a wise person learned in law.

Do not retain neighborly injury or act injuriously. Pride is hated and national iniquity execrable; kingdoms transfer through injustice, wrong and deceit. The chapter calls covetousness supremely wicked, asks why earth and ashes are proud, and describes money-love selling soul and casting away bowels. Power is brief: long sickness troubles physician, short sickness is cut off and a king today dies tomorrow, inheriting serpents, beasts and worms. Pride begins in departing God, with curses and ruin. The passage recounts destroyed wicked assemblies, overturned proud thrones, meek replacements, withered proud roots, humble plantings and obliterated lands and memories, while humble memory is preserved. These are its assertions, not a rule that every dynasty's fall proves sin.

Pride is not made for men nor wrath for women's race. God-fearing seed is honored, transgressing seed dishonored. Fear brings rich, honored and poor glory alike; do not despise a poor just man or magnify a rich sinner. Great, judicial and mighty people have honor but none exceeds the God-fearing. Free people serve a wise servant; prudent people accept reproof, ignorant lack honor. Avoid boasting at work and delay in distress. Productive labor exceeds boasting without bread; keep soul meek and honor it deservedly, asking who honors one dishonoring self. Poverty-discipline can bring glory, wealth can too; honor in wealth should fear poverty. No universal political peace or exclusive criterion of every human dignity is added.

The story inside

Opening: Judge wording and the separate Greek reading distinguish verse from annotation. Development: Mortality, pride and divine reversals remain the chapter’s attributed assertions. Conclusion: Fear, reproof, labor and final wealth/poverty comparisons retain their scope.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Judge wording and the separate Greek reading distinguish verse from annotation.
2
Mortality, pride and divine reversals remain the chapter’s attributed assertions.
3
Fear, reproof, labor and final wealth/poverty comparisons retain their scope.

Test your recall

Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 74156–74157
10:1. A wise judge shall judge his people, and the government of a prudent man shall be steady.
Lines 74159–74159
Judge his people.... In the Greek it is, instruct his people.
Lines 74201–74205
10:14. The beginning of the pride of man, is to fall off from God: 10:15. Because his heart is departed from him that made him: for pride is the beginning of all sin: he that holdeth it, shall be filled with maledictions, and it shall ruin him in the end.